Garmin users are having issues.
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A strange bug affecting severalGarminsmartwatches prevented many users from being able to access GPS on Tuesday 28 January.
Senior fitness writer Nick Harris-Fry found that this affected his Fenix 8 watch, but not his Instinct 3.
Users posted pictures of their expensive smartwatches with the dreaded blue triangle on the screen.
This was before Garmin responded, so users were left thinking their smartwatches were bricked.
A Reddit user saw it happen on their Fenix 7 Pro and the bug continued to spread from there.
Holding the power button until the unit powers off, then turning it back on may restore functionality temporarily.
We will provide more information on a permanent fix when available."
If this is some kind of guerilla marketing forSquid Game,I will be so angry.
Which models are affected?
There are a lot of Garmin watch models out there.
Just think of it as a tech detox.
Should you factory reset?
There are mixed ideas on whether factory resetting your smartwatch is a viable fix.
Based on the post on its status page, Garmin appears to want you to restart it.
We err on the side of not resetting and just restarting your watch.
One thing’s for sure: Garmin has a mess on its hands.
Just when users are ready to crush their goals, the servers decide its time for another cheat day.
These disruptions may be short-lived, but they still leave runners and athletes in limbo.
Are you experiencing this outage?
The perfect opportunity to head out on a midday run…but wait.
My Garmin watch won’t connect to GPS, what do I do?
How will I track my run?
If you’re in a similar position, worry not.
I have a workaround.
Ditch the Garmin and grab your phone, Apple or Android will do.
Maybe you still even own one of those hideous smartphone arm caddies?
Now’s the time to use it!
In Strava, select and open your recent workout.
Then click ‘Import data’ and select your GPX file.
Finally, tap ‘Import data’ one more time and that’s it!
All of your basic metrics recorded through Strava should now be viewable in Garmin Connect.
Signs of improvement?
However, other Instinct 3 owners are reporting the opposite experience today.
Stay tuned for an update.
Does this mean that the Garmin outage is winding down?
It’s hard to say.
This is where we need your help.
I’ll collate the responses and update the live blog later today with the results.
In the meantime, here’s hoping these annoying issues get resolved soon!
If this does not resolve your issue,hey click here for more information.'
This is the same message that Garmin owners in the U.K. are reporting seeing.
Are you a Garmin smartwatch owner?
Are you able to connect your rig to GPS?
We’d like to know!
Are you able to connect your Garmin watch to GPS?
Let me know by emailing dan.bracaglia@futurenet.com.
As of writing, 24 out of the 29 folks who have responded are reporting issues.
That’s just shy of 83% of users.
Or is your Garmin working well?
We want to know.
Email me at dan.bracaglia@futurenet.com with your experience, watch model and general location.
just note that hard restarting may result in all your user controls reverting to their factory defaults.
Once there, tap the activity you want to edit, then scroll down and tap ‘Satellites.’
Switch that sucker to ‘off’ and you should be good to go.
So, stay tuned for additional coverage of the great Garmin GPS outage of 2025.
(Though, with any luck, things will be at least partly resolved come Wednesday morning.)
Oh, and thank you again to all the readers who shared their Garmin watch experiences and frustrations today.
I seriously appreciate the effort; you made our coverage all the more informative.
What’s causing the problem?
This is the easiest and most risk-free fix and it worked for our Fenix 8.
Then turn it on again and sync with Garmin Connect or Garmin Express.
This option is found on your watch in Menu-tweaks-System-Restore & Reset.
DC Rainmaker has advice onhow to find the fileand delete it.
Got a brand new Garmin and don’t know whether to set it up yet or wait?
We totally get it.
Just yesterday, wed have advised you to hold off while we waited for an update.
Just follow the on-screen instructions, and you should be all set to sync without any issues.
What should you do if this happens on race day?
A Garmin outage on race day isnt ideal, but dont panic.
But remember, your legs still work even if your watch doesnt.
Heres what to do if a Garmin outage happens on race day.
Dont like carrying your phone while racing?
Go old-school and use race markers to check your time manually.
Otherwise, trust your training.
You probably know your race pace by feel more than you think.
Most importantly, dont let a tech glitch ruin your race.
Even if your data isnt perfect, your run still counts.
you’re able to always log your time manually later!
Are you still seeing this, or has it turned green for you?
Let us know: jessica.downey@futurenet.com.
Shes frustrated because herGarmin Forerunner 265Sis still experiencing issues, even after getting past the blue triangle error.
As a result, shes “reverting back to the Apple Watch until this is fixed.”
This is a temporary solution, if you own one of thebest Apple Watches, that is.
Reaching out to Garmins social media accounts might lead to a quicker response.
Where do we stand now?
Despite Garmin reporting that services are back, their own website still has status warnings.
Some Garmin owners are still reporting issues, though on the whole it is acting like better for most.
Is your watch still facing issues?
Garmin announces official fix
Garmin finally has information on a potential fix for your Garmin watch.
Garmin offers a number of watches and each of them appear to have different processes.
you could find them listed in the article above.
You will need your setup, the affected watch, Garmin Connect logins and a charging cable.
Garmin’s support page has new message as well with the red bar changed to green.
If you are still experiencing this,kindly visit support.garmin.com for steps to handle the issue."
